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​You may have heard the complaint from comedians like Bill Maher that they are being told what they say is wrong. You also could have heard a certain politician claim that when people complain about being offended it is because of political correctness. The truth is when you respect a group you use the terms they like. In the 90’s we were told special needs was the politically correct term, but it was a term I didn’t hear in any of my circles. So, when we came to the understanding that the R word was offensive because of over use and other use of the term we had to explain that we were not asking people to be politically correct we were asking for respect of the disabled community, a respect that comes from person first and identity first language.

As we talk about person first and identity first language, it is important to note that these are terms that are preferred by some members of the disability community and are not part of political correctness. I would say I am a person with Cerebral Palsy when using person first language. You can also talk generally and say person with a disability. With identity first you would capitalize the name of the Disability as you are talking about a group. Either way, you want the people you are talking to, to have some understanding of what your disability is or ask questions to get an understanding. I want to be clear and point out a term or an overused term.

Person first or identity first language is not part of political correctness. No one should be nervous about word usage or made to feel bad about feeling offended. I believe this is how the term political correctness is confusing. As self-advocates we want our allies to be comfortable explaining things and supporting us. We also want society to know what’s offensive without being accused of being politically correct. If it is the case where one believes anything you want to say is ok to fight against a term, then civility is gone and it could lead to allowing violence in recent like in a Trump rally in Chicago. The best we can do is to listen to one another. Understand that respected terms are important to communication and understanding. Whether your issue is to use identity first or person first language, the important thing is that you are civil and respect other communities.

This year we elect a new president who will start next January. There will be a lot of talk about the primaries. Michigan’s primary is March 8th. If you are a US citizen and if you are 18 before or on that date you can register to vote and choose your party’s nominee. General election voting takes place on the first Tuesday in November 2016. If you are able to vote either in Michigan’s primary or the general election I hope you are paying attention because if you choose to vote there are local offices and proposals to consider besides voting for President.

If you vote in the primary remember there are other things on the ballot. Transportation and accessibility are good local bond issues to consider. Listen to what a candidate has to say and vote your conscience. Voting your conscience means you gave your choice some thought and you respect your decision. If you choose the nominee based on his or her statements and action you are basing your decision on temperament. I was fresh out of high school the first time I voted in 1990. I have not voted in every election since then but the important thing is that I am satisfied that I voted my conscience when I voted.

If you choose to vote a party ticket, or choose another way to make your decisions, certain ways you identify may influence you. We all have many identities. One of my identities is that I am a person with a disability. This influences the way I vote on transportation bonds and what I want to hear from candidates. I have many identities a few of them influence how I vote. It is good to look at your whole self. You can use any of your identities to decide how to vote. At one point this was called identity politics.

While it is no one’s place to tell you how to vote you will hear a lot of stories and opinions. Take them for what they are and make up your mind. You can choose to vote at your polling place or vote absentee. Either way you can shape your local town and the country. In previous blogs I wrote about competitive work, the ADA, transportation, disability culture, and pride. All of these are good to think about when consider your disability identity. These will help with the promises of candidates and other issues like how your taxes are being spent. Besides disability and party politics you may vote for an issue that is important to your neighborhood or family. There isn’t really any limit on the way to look at issues. The League of Women Voters put out information on local ballots I encourage you to look up yours to help you make great vote of conscience.To register to vote, at the sectary of state you must be all of the following

A U.S. citizen

At least 18 years old by Election Day

A resident of Michigan

A resident of the city or township where you are applying to register to vote. , I urge you to vote. Election, March 8th, 2016. If you decide to vote absentee you would have to get your ballot to the clerk’s office by 4:00 on March 7th.